Family beaten, robbed at home by three men

Published 7:00 pm, Monday, July 7, 2003

A young couple and their child were ambushed by three armed men Wednesday inside their home at 4220 Pasadena Blvd.

A 23-year-old man and his 20-year-old wife were having a quiet evening at home last week with their 3-year-old child when they heard strange noises outside their front door.

The couple thought the rustling sounds were from area children playing nearby but when the sounds persisted, the woman went to the front door to investigate.

As she walked from the back bedroom of their mobile home, three unknown men bearing guns and a tire iron forcibly entered the residence.

The woman was forced into the back bedroom with her husband as the men yelled repeatedly, 'tell us where the money and cocaine is,' police said.

The man and the woman insisted they didn't have anything but were beaten with a tire iron for every answer that didn't produce money or drugs.

The men reiterated their request to no avail, but the couple remained helpless and trapped in their own house.

The trio left 30 minutes later as abruptly as they came, taking $50 in cash from the woman's purse, a plastic jar containing $500 in coins and the couple's two cars, a 2000 red Chevrolet Impala and a 2002 white Chevrolet Trailblazer, police said.

When officers arrived, the home was in total disarray, police said. Couch cushions were overturned, cabinets emptied and closets rummaged through.

The man sustained two knife wounds to his lower leg and one on his heel from a 10-inch kitchen knife left behind at the scene. He was also bleeding from the forehead and top of his head from being struck with a tire iron.

He and his wife both sustained bruising on their heads and backs. She also had a laceration on her face from being struck with the tire iron.

The 3-year-old child was unharmed during the incident.

The couple said all three suspects are young Hispanic males. One man is described as being in his early 20s, 5 feet 7 inches tall, sporting a moustache and having dark-colored skin. On the night of the robbery, he was wearing a black, sleeveless shirt and blue shorts.

The second man is also in his 20s, 5 feet 7 inches tall and has dark-colored skin. He sports a moustache and a light-colored beard.

There is no age description on the third man, but he is described as having no facial hair, being clean shaven and having his hair slicked back, police said.

The family claims to not know the men or know why they came looking for drugs and money, police said. The two cars have not been recovered, and there were no other witnesses.

To help investigators identify the three men, call the Pasadena Police Department at (713) 477-1221.